Spike extractor



=J. RADER SPIKE EXTRACTQR Aug. 11, 1925.

. Filed Maren 19, 192

' lower end of a shank.

Patented Aug. 11, 1925 stares tsaaaia JOE RADER, or BELVA, OKLAHOMA.

SPIKE EXTRACTOBI.

Application filed March 19, 1925. Serial No. 16,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jon RADr-R, a citizen of the United States, residingat Belva, in the county of Woodward and State of Oklahoma, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Spike Extractors, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference be ing had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to spike extractors, and particularly toextractors which are used for pulling railroad spikes.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple and strongdevice of this character so constructed that it may be readily placedbet-ween two adjacent rails and engaged with the spike and which iscapable of being operated by an ordinary claw bar or similar tool whichcannot be directly engaged with the spike.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is soconstructed that the claw bar may be disposed in a variety of radialrelations to the axis of the spike extractor so that the claw bar may befulcrumed upon adjacent rails, ties or the like without regard to theposition of the spike.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is an elevation of a spike puller constructed in accordance with myinvention;

Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the adjacent rails of a switchshowing my spike puller in position ready to pull a spike.

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that my improved spikeextractor comprlses a head 10 which at its lower end is formed with thetwo oppositely disposed claws 11 which are adapted to be forced beneatha spike by driving. From the upper end of the head extends the stem 12ending in a head 13 and this is swiveled within the This lower end ofthe shank is enlarged, as at 14, to accommodate the head 13 and iscontracted to form a neck 15 fitting against the neck of the head 10.The stem 12 extends up through the lower end of this shank and the headis disposed within a transverse passage 16 formed in the head 14. Abovethe head 14 the shank is enlarged, as at 17, then again reduced indiameter, and then again enlarged so as to form a head 18. Theseprotuberances 17 and 18 are so designed that a crow bar or claw bar maybe disposed to engage beneath either ofthe heads 17 or 18 and thus alifting force applied to the spike extractor.

By reason of the fact that the head 10 with its claws is swiveled uponthe shank 14, it follows that the lower portion of the device may beshifted into any desired relation and engaged with the spike to beextracted and the crow bar or claw bar may be disposed either parallelto the rails A or transversely of the rails A or in any other desiredrelation. It will be noted that the contracted necks between the heads17 and 18 are cylindrical in form so that this permits the claw bar orcrow bar to be disposed in any desired radial relation.

VVit-h this device spikes between switches and frogs may be removed byplacing the claw bar between the rails, which is not possible where thespike-engaging claws are not swiveled to the shank.

This spike extractor is particularly adapted for reconstruction work, asit may be placed in engagement with the spike between switches and frogsand the claw bar can be placed in any position desired. This ispermitted by the swiveled head of the rigid shank, which permits theupper portion of the spike extractor to be rotated with relation to thelower portion t may be used for pulling spikes on bridges outside of therail by placing the claw bar alongside of the rail. This cannot be donewith a spike extract-or which does not have a swiveled upper portion, asin this form of spike extractor when the extractor is applied on theoutside of a bridge rail there is no way to stand to pull the spike asthe claw bar will stick out beyond the bridge, and if the spike headpulls off the operator is very likely to fall. My spike extractor willallow the operator to place the claw bar in any position where it ismost convenient by turning it with the swivel. It is not possible toturn the claw bar so as to pull spikes between the rails or on T-railbridges with any other kind of spike extractor, as the spike extractorwill not turn on the spike so that the claw bar may be placed on them.

I claim 1. A spike puller comprising a shank having a plurality ofprotuberant portions claw, the shank being cylindrical in cross alongits length with which a claw may be section and being formed atintervals with engaged, the shank at its lower end being sphericalprotuberances. 10 provided with a swiveled head having a In testimonywhereof I hereunto affix my 5 spike-engaging claw. signature.

2. A spike extractor comprising a shank provided atits lower end with aswiveled J OE RADER.

